Below you see the list of 5 Most Influential Entrepreneurs in the America. For our methodology and extensive coverage see 12 Most Influential Entrepreneurs in America.
5. Michael Bloomberg
Net worth: $54.9 billion
Social media following: 2.7 million followers(Twitter), 939k followers(Facebook)
A former mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg is the co-founder of the financial information and media company called Bloomberg LP. He ranks 5th on the list of 12 most influential entrepreneurs in America
Bloomberg LP is a global leader in the area of financial data services. In 2007 and 2008, he was named the 39th Most influential person in the world in The TIME 100. In 2014, he was named an honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
4. Mark Zuckerberg
Net Worth: $94.4 billion
Social media following: 116 million followers(Facebook)
Mark Zuckerberg, born in 1984, is widely known for being the founder of the social networking website called Facebook. In 2004, while he was attending Harvard University, Zuckerberg created the “thefacebook.com” website, which would later be renamed “Facebook”. The website allowed other Harvard students to upload their information and pictures to the template he had designed.
Amid a swiftly rising popularity, Facebook had to move its headquarters to California. By 2005, Facebook had over 5 million users and remains one of the largest social network sites to date, with about 2.8 billion active users. Currently, Facebook is developing an Android-based smartwatch. In 2010, Zuckerberg was named the Person of the Year by Times Magazine. He was also awarded the CEO of the Year at the 6th Annual Crunchies in 2013.
3. Bill Gates
Net Worth: $120.4 billion
Social Media Following: 53.3 million followers(Twitter), 36 million followers(Facebook)
Bill Gates cofounded Microsoft Corporation with his childhood friend, Paul Allen. In 1980, Microsoft created the MS-DOS operating system that was used to run the first microcomputer produced by IBM. It became the leading operating system and was used by almost all personal computers. Bill and Melinda Gates have given $45.5 billion to charitable causes, according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy. In 2019 alone, Gates donated $589 million to charity.
In 1990, Microsoft released another successful product, Microsoft Office, which is still in use today. Recently, Microsoft has decided to partner with Volkswagen to develop a Cloud-based Automated Driving platform on Microsoft Azure .The Bill & Melinda Foundation, a charity foundation, is the largest private charitable organization in the world. It has donated over $40 billion to many health, and global education initiatives. In 2016, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 2006, he was presented the James C Morgan Global Humanitarian Award from Tech Awards.
2. Elon Musk
Net Worth:$172.8 billion
Social Media Following: 44.1 million followers(Twitter)
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA), is also known for founding PayPal and SpaceX. He ranks 2nd on the list of 12 most influential entrepreneurs in America. Elon Musk co-founded the online financial services company, PayPal, with Peter Thiel. In 2002, he founded SpaceX(Space Exploration Technologies), a company that manufactures affordable rockets. SpaceX has made innovative strides in the field of space technology.
Musk became a major funder of Tesla, an electric car company in 2004. He helped develop the first car produced by Tesla and was later named the CEO, a role he maintains to date. With the company’s Q3 2020 earning, its market capitalization increased to $800 billion. In 2011, Musk was listed in the America’s Most Powerful CEOs 40 and Under by Forbes.
1. Jeff Bezos
Net Worth: $187.9 billion
Social Media Following: 1.8 million followers(Twitter)
Jeff Bezos is the founder and CEO of Amazon.com. He ranks as 1st on the list of 12 most influential entrepreneurs in America. In July 1995, Amazon sold its first book. In record time, Amazon grew to become the leading e-commerce giant, causing a worldwide rise of e-commerce websites.
Bezos diversified the company and by 2005, Amazon was selling products ranging from household items to cosmetics. In 2007, the company released a mobile reading device called “The Kindle” which could download and store thousands of books. Amazon is currently one of the most valuable companies in the world. Blue Origin, a space travel company founded by Jeff Bezos was one of the first commercial companies to launch a reusable rocket. In 2012, he was named the Businessperson of the Year by Fortune. In 2018, he received the Axel Springer Award for Business Innovation and Social Responsibility.
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